The present invention relates to a connection interface system for providing an interface between a unit under test (UUT) and testing equipment to facilitate automatic testing of the UUT by the testing equipment.
A connector interface system comprises two main parts, namely, a receiver and an interchangeable test adapter (ITA). The receiver and the ITA are each adapted to carry a plurality of connector modules. The connector modules provide holders into which contacts and cables of electrical wiring can be received, in the case of the receiver the contacts of the wiring which connects to the testing equipment and in the case of the ITA the contacts of the wiring which connects to the UUT. Mating of the contacts of the connector modules of the receiver and those of the ITA, connects the testing equipment to the UUT. In order to facilitate this mating the ITA has rollers which locate into latches on the receiver. A mechanical leverage system, housed within the receiver, connects these latches to a handle. When the handle is operated, this causes the ITA, guided by the location device, to be drawn accurately into the receiver, making the electrical contacts and then drawing it into place. Operating the handle in the opposite direction will break the electrical contacts and release the ITA ready for removal or re-engagement. This system of mating is described in Intellitest (Europe) Limited""s UK Patent Application, published under the number GB 2 323 219.
In order to allow maximum flexibility in the lay out of electrical contacts, and thereby allow connection to a variety of testing equipment and UUT, a modular mounting system is generally employed for both the receiver and the ITA. By changing the type of connector modules attached to the frameworks of the receiver and the ITA, modules can be provided which allow a required style of connection for the UUT and the testing equipment. Therefore, the receiver and the ITA are generally adapted to receive a plurality of different connector modules, at a plurality of positions on their framework.
In a known interface system there is provided a receiver comprising a substantially rectangular frame which can be directly mounted to the housing of testing equipment, the housing providing a card case comprising a plurality of test cards mounted in rails therein. The frame work of the receiver has a pair of spaced apart, parallel mounting bars each of which has a plurality of screw receiving apertures. The receiver connector modules can be mounted between these bars by securing the module with screws to the bars. During the mating of the contacts held by the receiver connector modules and those held by the ITA connector modules, each contact experiences several grams of mating force. For the considerable number of contacts being made or broken during mating and breaking of the contacts, this can amount to in the order of half a ton of mating or breaking force at the interface.
The advantage of this known receiver is, that because the receiver connector modules are firmly secured to the receiver frame by screw fittings, some of this force is absorbed by the receiver thereby reducing the occurrence of potential damage to the contacts. However, the disadvantage is that when breaking the contacts the force absorbed by the receiver connector, module affixing is concentrated on the screw fitting, leading to potential damage of this fitting and thereby reduction in the life span of the receiver.
The receiver connector modules are removably affixed to the front of the receiver in order that when the receiver is affixed to the testing equipment, the module can be simply unscrewed and removed to allow access into the testing equipment. For this purpose it is necessary that the wiring leading from the receiver connector modules to the test cards, which are held within the testing equipment, is relatively long in order to allow the module to be lifted away without damaging the contacts at either the module or at the card. This has the disadvantage that, due to the large number of contacts a considerable mass of unruly wiring is present, which makes it difficult for an operator to access and therefore reconfigure the system.
In order to alleviate the above described drawback a receiver was developed by Virginia Panel Corporation (U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,378) in which instead of mounting the receiver connector modules on the front of the receiver, these modules are instead located at the rear of the receiver. In this design each module is mounted on an adapter. The adapter provides an extension into the testing unit and the wires of the contacts held in the module are contained within the housing of the adapter. The end of the adapter, remote from the module, carries a further interface for connection to the test cards held within the testing unit. When the receiver is pivoted to a lower position, the module and associated adapter remain in the electronic equipment cabinet, i.e., they do not pivot with the receiver.
This arrangement has the advantage that it keeps the wiring more ordered, and the adapter carrying the module is more readily demountable. In order for the contacts held in the receiver connector module to mate with those of the ITA connector module, the receiver and adapter carry respective co-acting alignment holes and alignment pins. In this respect, a pair of affixed alignment pins are located on the adapter, one on either side of the connector module. The alignment holes on the receiver are provided as apertures in the mounting bars of the receiver. The connector module is positioned by the placement of the adapter pins into corresponding apertures in the mounting bars of the receiver, and the module is held in place by its affixing on the test card.
In order to allow removal of a connector module in order to access the testing equipment, the receiver is additionally modified to comprise a front and back panel frame sections which are permanently hinged together to allow the front panel to be pivoted away from the back panel, which back panel in use would be secured to the testing equipment. The front panel carries the latches to connect the ITA to the receiver and also the mounting bars. Because the pins of the receiver connector module are only located in and not held by the apertures on the mounting bars, when the front panel is hinged down, the receiver connector module is accessible to an operator who then simply removes the receiver connector module by disconnecting its affixing to the test card. While this system allows easier access to the test cards, it has the disadvantage that when the contacts held by the receiver connector module and those of the ITA connector module are mated, the mating force on the receiver connector modules force the modules backwards into the testing equipment. Because the modules are not affixedly held in place by the receiver the mating force is transferred through the affixing of its adapter to the test card. This results in possible damage to the cards and/or their connections to the adapter and/or the contacts held in the module which may buckle when the contacts held in the modules of the ITA are inserted.
A further disadvantage of this design of receiver for the connection interface system is that it is specially designed for testing equipment incorporating rail mounted test cards which provide a connection and mounting for the adapters together with sufficient internal space to accommodate the reverse located receiver connector modules with their integral adapter. It is not suitable for bench or rack and stack mounted test equipment, because the only affixing for the receiver connector modules is to the test cards and it is not possible to mate the contacts held within the receiver/connector modules and those of the ITA without some form of affixing. Furthermore the adapters are specifically designed to only connect to the testing cards.
It is an aspect according to embodiments of the present invention to provide a connection interface system that overcomes or alleviates the above described drawbacks.
In a preferred embodiment, a connection interface system for providing an interface between a unit under test and testing equipment includes a receiver having a first frame for the testing equipment, a second frame for the unit under test, and at least one receiver connector module. The receiver includes an upper mounting bar associated with an upper mounting rail to define an upper channel and a lower mounting bar associated with a lower mounting rail to define a lower channel. The at least one receiver connector module is releasably mounted on the receiver. The receiver connector module includes an upper shoulder mounted within the upper channel, a lower shoulder mounted within the lower channel, an upper positioning member coupled with the upper shoulder that positions the upper shoulder relative to the upper channel and a lower positioning member coupled with the lower shoulder that positions the lower shoulder relative to the lower channel.
In another preferred embodiment, a receiver for use in a connection interface system includes an upper mounting bar associated with an upper mounting rail to define an upper channel, a lower mounting bar associated with a lower mounting rail to define a lower channel, and at least one receiver connector module releasably mounted on the top panel frame. The receiver connector module includes an upper shoulder mounted within the upper channel and a lower shoulder mounted within the lower channel, an upper positioning member coupled with the upper shoulder that positions the upper shoulder relative to the upper channel and a lower positioning member coupled with the lower shoulder that positions the lower shoulder relative to the lower channel.
In yet another preferred embodiment, a method for reverse mounting a receiver connector module to a receiver comprises inserting a lower shoulder of the receiver connector module into a lower channel on a rear portion of the receiver, sliding a lower positioning member of the receiver connector module into a slot of the lower mounting bar of the receiver, pivoting an upper shoulder of the receiver connector module towards a rear portion of an upper mounting bar of the receiver, and inserting an upper positioning member of the receiver connector module into a slot or an aperture of the upper mounting bar of the receiver.
In still another preferred embodiment, a connection interface system for providing an interface between a unit under test and testing equipment includes a front portion of the receiver, a rear portion of the receiver, a receiver, and at least one receiver connector module. The receiver being between the first frame and second frame. The receiver having a front portion and a rear portion, the receiver including an upper mounting bar associated with an upper mounting rail at the rear portion of the receiver to define an upper channel at the rear portion of the receiver and a lower mounting bar associated with a lower mounting rail at the rear portion of the receiver to define a lower channel at the rear portion of the receiver, and at least one receiver connector module releasably reverse mounted on the rear portion of the receiver. The receiver connector module includes an upper shoulder mounted within the upper channel, a lower shoulder mounted within the lower channel, an upper positioning member coupled with the upper shoulder that positions the upper shoulder relative to the upper channel and a lower positioning member coupled with the lower shoulder that positions the lower shoulder relative to the lower channel.
In another preferred embodiment, a receiver for use in a connection interface system includes an upper mounting bar associated with an upper mounting rail at a rear portion of the receiver to define an upper channel at the rear portion of the receiver, a lower mounting bar associated with an lower mounting rail at the rear portion of the receiver to define an lower channel at the rear portion of the receiver, and at least one receiver connector module releasably mounted on the rear portion of the receiver. The receiver connector module includes an upper shoulder mounted within the upper channel, a lower shoulder mounted within the lower channel, an upper positioning member coupled with the upper shoulder that positions the upper shoulder relative to the upper channel and a lower positioning member coupled with the lower shoulder that positions the lower shoulder relative to the lower channel.
These and other aspects and/or advantages of the preferred embodiments will be described in or apparent from the following description.